


Garden of Remembrance

by zarabithia



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Force Ghost Padmé Amidala, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, do I care? NOPE, do i know that only Jedi are canonically force ghosts, past canonical character death, yes - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 08:05:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14666841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarabithia/pseuds/zarabithia
Summary: On Alderaan , Mother and Daughter Day is an important tradition.





	Garden of Remembrance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cero_ate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cero_ate/gifts).



> Written for a Mother's Day prompt on Tumblr.

On Alderaan , Mother and Daughter Day is an important tradition, and one that Breha celebrated with her own mother until the Day of Demand pronounced Breha the crown princess of Alderaan. As crown princess, it had been her duty to put away childish things, include her keepsake chest and the celebration of a holiday that would not be hers again until she had a child of her own. 

Breha has celebrated Mother and Daughter day every year since the day Bail brought Leia home to them. 

But it is in Leia’s tenth year that Breha takes them to the Garden of Remembering on Mother and Daughter Day. It stretches out along the east side of the palace and has a beautiful view of the largest waterfall on Alderaan; when they were much younger, Queen Amidala had called it “the most beautiful part of a planet where beauty is in no short supply.” 

On this day, Breha’s always curious daughter senses something is off about their normal Mother and Daughter Day excursions, and she tries to be patient; but alas, Princess Leia has not inherited Amidala’s patience. 

“More like her father,” Bail has whispered at night, born of equal parts fear and love. Breha has no such fear, and she knows that in time, Bail’s will melt away as well. In time, when the memory of fallen children do not haunt him quite as much, he will see the wisdom that temper’s Leia’s lack of patience. 

“Why are we here, Mama?” Leia asks finally, not being able to hold it back anymore. 

“You are aware, of course, that there are some on our world that challenge the fact that you are my daughter,” Breha begins, and she brushes back a stray hair as Leia’s little face darkens.

“But I am,” she says stubbornly. 

“Yes, you are. But before you came to Bail and me, you had another mother.” Breha does not speak of Leia’s father. It is … not the day for it, and Breha is not interested in the half truths she would be forced to tell. 

Leia tilts her head, as she considers this information. “Did she have a lot of pretty dresses? And were her eyes just like mine? “ she asks. 

Breha swallows a sigh as she thinks of the young girl who never quite got the right to grow up or to see the amazing person her daughter is becoming. She thinks of elaborate Naboo headpieces and the luxurious gowns that Padmé continued to wear, even as she strove to conceal a pregnancy. “Yes, she did. Why do you ask?” 

“I have dreams sometimes,” Leia says, confirming what Breha has already suspected. “Sometimes, there is a beautiful woman… and we play in a beautiful field. It’s not like any on Alderaan, though.” 

Leia moves to sit on Breha’s lap, and Breha allows it. “Mama, was she _always_ so _sad_? Even when we play, she’s so kind… but so sad.” 

The thing that Breha remembers most is Padmé ‘s beautiful smile, and it hurts to believe that the only thing Padmé ‘s daughter will remember her for is her _sadness_. 

“Your other mother was indeed very kind,” Breha tells her. “But … she was not always sad, no. In fact, if I remembered only one thing about her, it would be how strongly she believed in hope. She knew the galaxy was not a hopeful place, and we have to be hopeful because it is not.” 

“Hope is like the sun!” Leia quotes. 

“Exactly,” Breha chuckles into Leia’s hair as her daughter leans back into her arms. She’s a bit too big for lap sitting, but Breha will allow it just this once. Together, they sit and look out onto the Garden of Remembrance. With her eyes on Leia and the waterfall in the distance, Breha spends the afternoon observing the two most beautiful parts of a planet that is not in short supply of beauty and she silently honors the woman who cannot be here to join them.


End file.
